"Is this Vermilion City? Let's head to the Pokémon Center first—I'm starving!" At the entrance of Vermilion City, Ash, Brock, and Cynthia finally arrived after more than an hour of travel.
For Cynthia, who had joined them on this journey, Ash chose to adopt a neutral attitude. After all, she had come all the way to Kanto—he couldn't just turn her away.
Upon entering the Pokémon Center in Vermilion, Ash immediately noticed a large number of injured Pokémon crowding the facility. His brow furrowed. Normally, there wouldn't be so many injured Pokémon unless something serious was going on.
"Why are there so many injured Pokémon in this Center?" Brock asked in surprise, noting Ash's serious expression.
"All of them were defeated by the local Gym Leader, Blitz," a familiar voice interjected.
Nurse Joy stepped forward, bowing politely to Ash. Among the Joy family, Ash's name had already become well-known. Due to pharmaceutical cooperation with the Dragon Clan and Oak Family, the Joys saw Ash almost like a major benefactor.
"Master Ash, welcome! My name is Joylan. Welcome to Vermilion City," she greeted with a formal bow.
"Blitz? Is he the son of Lt. Surge, the Electric-type Elite?" Ash asked, recalling details about Vermilion's Gym.
Lt. Surge—47 years old—was an Elite Four-level Trainer, and his son Blitz, now 29, was known as an arrogant but powerful Gym Leader. Backed by his father, he essentially ruled Vermilion Gym unchallenged.
"I've met him before at annual Gym Leader summits," Brock added with a scowl. "He was definitely arrogant, not the kind you'd enjoy battling."
Ash handed over his Poké Balls. "Please restore my Pokémon's health."
"Of course, please wait a moment," Joylan said, taking the Poké Balls and walking toward the treatment room.
Though every Nurse Joy looked the same, Ash noted how their personalities varied widely. Joylan, in particular, had a strong presence.
While their Pokémon recovered, Ash, Brock, and Cynthia went to the nearby restaurant for lunch. Ash wasn't especially worried about the Gym challenge. After all, every Pokémon he currently carried was champion-level. The only real challenge would come from the League Finals—and even then, not from the Gym Leaders.
Ash was already looking ahead to the next step: the King's Championship Challenge after the Quartz League. That would be where the real battles awaited. The Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto weren't just ordinary Trainers—they were monsters in their own right, each with elite-level synergy and battle discipline.
Even among them, his cousin Shiro stood out—a reigning champion and an unstoppable force.
"Hm…" While eating, Ash suddenly winced, dropping his chopsticks. A sharp pain stabbed through his eyes, and the optic nerves throbbed. He quickly raised a hand to cover them.
"What's wrong, Ash?! Are the side effects acting up again?" Brock asked, alarmed.
He knew Ash's psychic abilities and Aura talents well. Ever since the last incident, Ash had struggled with blindness brought on by overuse. And despite various treatments, there was still no complete cure—only temporary relief through medication.
"Are you okay?" Cynthia asked, deeply concerned as she moved to Ash's side. In the few days they'd traveled together, she'd started seeing herself more as his partner… perhaps even his future wife.
Ash's power, his character, and everything about him made her heart stir. She didn't understand why Ash kept resisting her, but she was determined to fight for him—especially when her family was already planning to marry her off to someone she didn't even know. Compared to that, Ash was the only one who truly made her feel alive.
The price of using the Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't just insomnia—it took a toll on the body, too. Mental fatigue, nerve stress, and internal strain all piled up. It wasn't just one side effect—it hit in multiple areas.
Like a runner exhausted after a marathon, Ash's body needed time and training to recover properly.
"This is a side effect of Ash's psychic abilities. Overuse leads to progressive vision loss. When he fought Dragonite, he pushed himself too far again."
"Based on the results from the last vision test, Ash's eyesight has deteriorated severely. His visual range is almost nonexistent—everything in front of him is a blur. If he keeps using it at this rate, he may lose his sight completely within three more uses."
"Brock, stop talking. Just give me the painkiller," Ash cut in, his voice strained. "Even if I go blind… I still have my Aura."
While Brock was explaining Ash's condition to Cynthia, Ash's sharp tone interrupted him.
Aside from being able to understand Pokémon emotions, Aura also allowed Ash to sense his surroundings like a mental radar. It wasn't vision, but it was enough. Plus, Ash had come to realize that the medicinal advancements in this world were far superior to his past life—the painkillers here actually worked.
"Ash, maybe we should go to a hospital—"
"Stay out of it. This is my problem."
"Don't be like this. I'm just trying to—"
Seeing Ash in pain, Cynthia's heart tightened. She wanted to help, but Ash was shutting her out completely. Just as she tried to speak again, Ash's eyes suddenly changed. His red pupils transformed into the triple-tomoe Sharingan. The moment their eyes met, Cynthia froze—her words caught in her throat.
"Ash, you can't use your powers now! You're only making the damage worse!" Brock shouted as he saw the change in Ash's eyes.
Ash slowly closed his Sharingan and let his eyes return to their regular red hue. He exhaled quietly and said, "It's fine. The three-tomoe Sharingan doesn't come with side effects. Only the Mangekyō does."
...
TN:
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